Abstract Background Cytokines, chemokines, adipocytokines, soluble cell receptors, and immune activation markers play an important role in immune responsiveness and can provide prognostic value since they reflect underlying conditions and disease states. This study was undertaken to investigate the components of biological variation for various laboratory tests of blood immunological biomarkers. Results Estimates of intra-individual coefficient of variation (CVI) and inter-individual coefficient of variation (CVG) were examined for blood immunological biomarkers. Biomarkers with CVI 40%...

Abstract Background Cytokines, chemokines, adipocytokines, soluble cell receptors, and immune activation markers play an important role in immune responsiveness and can provide prognostic value since they reflect underlying conditions and disease states. This study was undertaken to investigate the components of biological variation for various laboratory tests of blood immunological biomarkers. Results Estimates of intra-individual coefficient of variation (CVI) and inter-individual coefficient of variation (CVG) were examined for blood immunological biomarkers. Biomarkers with CVI 40%...

Figure S2. Immunostaining of serial cross-sections of muscle tissue: CD11b+CD14+CD15+ cells (A) and laminin-dystrophin (B). Stained nuclei in blue. A.1 Original image with no brightness manipulation. A.2 and A.3 Brightness was increased to visually appreciate the location of the CD11b+CD14+CD15+ cell (arrow) on the endomysial area. B. Serial cross-section used to confirm the location of immune cells on the periphery of muscle fibers (endomysium). Asterisks mark muscle fibers used as a reference point, and immune...

Figure S2. Immunostaining of serial cross-sections of muscle tissue: CD11b+CD14+CD15+ cells (A) and laminin-dystrophin (B). Stained nuclei in blue. A.1 Original image with no brightness manipulation. A.2 and A.3 Brightness was increased to visually appreciate the location of the CD11b+CD14+CD15+ cell (arrow) on the endomysial area. B. Serial cross-section used to confirm the location of immune cells on the periphery of muscle fibers (endomysium). Asterisks mark muscle fibers used as a reference point, and immune...

Abstract Background Renin-angiotensin system inhibitors (RASIs), either angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, are widely used in patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease, as a renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade has renoprotective effects. Several studies show that preserving residual renal function is important for a better prognosis in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients. Here, we systematically reviewed the beneficial or harmful effects of RAS blockade in PD patients. Methods PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, the Ichushi...